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3 questions: corrosionX, brake fluid, door handle


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Instead of three different posts I thought to just ask in one...

1) Is it ok to spray corrosionX inside the area where the wheel rests? I remember years ago a mechanic told me "you can spray it everywhere...".

2) I finally found the fluid reservoir (thanks for the help, MSers!). It's on the pilot side, inside firewall. Basically super hard to reach. I can see it but I have not clue how to get there. I thought to top it because I found some fluid at the bottom of the left wheel so I have a leak. Fortunately, it appears to be only when under pressure and according to my A&P the O-rings need replacement. I guess I can fly although I understand the fluid is not endless! Thoughts?

3) I noticed some rust on the door handle. Are you guys doing anything about it? It's obviously out there getting hit by cold air, humidity, etc and I would like to protect it somehow.

 

Thanks!

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1) I've always heard spray it everywhere, good stuff but I keep it off rubber and electrical if I can

2) Leaks very rarely fix themselves, get your oil squirt can with clear tubing ready to refill the resivoir after you replace those seals

3)Rust is like leaks, get on it now before it gets worse

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Best to have in different threads....

You are about to find out why... :)

1) only spray corrosionX on things you don’t want to oxidize... it’s not something you want everywhere...

2) dozens of pages regarding your hydraulic reservoir have been written recently... do you want a personal invite to find them?

3) is your door handle painted or chromed?

  • repaint like everything else...
  • rechrome like everything else...

Have no fear in warming up an old thread... it’s like talking about the old times...

Best regards,

-a-

 

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I would  put it on electrical and the door handle, but keep it off the rubber

CorrosionX helps electronics in your car or boat

  • Spray onto battery posts
  • Wipe onto accessory plugs that go into the lighter socket
  • Dip and wipe connector ends of cables to navigators, charging cradles and other accessories
  • CorrosionX is also a great lubricant and protectant: Wet your car and boat keys with CorrosionX, insert into each lock and remove, then wipe off excess

CorrosionX helps your PC

  • Inside the case, wipe onto or into PCI card fingers and slots, memory card fingers and slots, SATA drive connections, DC power connections, fan connectors and header pins
  • Outside the case, wipe to apply to USB sockets, audio connectors, external drive connectors and the AC power connector
  • Dip PC cable ends into CorrosionX and wipe off excess with a soft cloth

How an Almost Perfect Conductor can be an Almost Perfect Insulator

CorrosionX bonds with an underlying metal conductor as a Fluid Thin Film Coating (FTFC) that is just one molecule thick (0.0004"); when you place two such treated conductors in contact with each other, the resistance between them is only about 0.1 Ohm. So why doesn't it short out adjacent conductors? A separation of even just a faction of a millimeter is so many molecules wide that it exhibits a resistance beyond the billions of Ohms that our instrumentation can measure. In practical terms, it's an insulator.

 

http://www.corrosionx.com/corrosionx-aviation.html

 

 

 

 

Edited by mike42
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Instead of three different posts I thought to just ask in one...
1) Is it ok to spray corrosionX inside the area where the wheel rests? I remember years ago a mechanic told me "you can spray it everywhere...".
2) I finally found the fluid reservoir (thanks for the help, MSers!). It's on the pilot side, inside firewall. Basically super hard to reach. I can see it but I have not clue how to get there. I thought to top it because I found some fluid at the bottom of the left wheel so I have a leak. Fortunately, it appears to be only when under pressure and according to my A&P the O-rings need replacement. I guess I can fly although I understand the fluid is not endless! Thoughts?
3) I noticed some rust on the door handle. Are you guys doing anything about it? It's obviously out there getting hit by cold air, humidity, etc and I would like to protect it somehow.
 
Thanks!
 
 
 
 
 


I remember from the other thread you don’t have access to it from the top. It’s going to be a pain to get to from the pilot side footwell.

I would remove the pilot seat and use the extra space to get better access. If it looks like mine, I think you can remove the cap (painfully) and use a bore scope to check the level.

If it requires fluid, I would use a meat tenderizer with a piece of tubing to fill it.


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7 minutes ago, Marauder said:

 


I remember from the other thread you don’t have access to it from the top. It’s going to be a pain to get to from the pilot side footwell.

I would remove the pilot seat and use the extra space to get better access. If it looks like mine, I think you can remove the cap (painfully) and use a bore scope to check the level.

If it requires fluid, I would use a meat tenderizer with a piece of tubing to fill it.


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I took the top instrument cover panel off and saw the cap. The hand brake appears to be connected to it as well.  It also looks like the reservoir is at an angle and not straight. Even lying down with my head near the pedals it's hard to reach the cap let alone re-filling it! I do not know how much I have in there...I'm afraid I'm running low. I never thought this was going to be such a pain especially coming from a Cherokee where it is super easy to access...

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6 minutes ago, FastTex said:

I think the handle is/was chrome...any good recommendation about re-chroming? 

It’s decorative chrome, so any automotive chrome plating company can do it once you get it out.

Clarence

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4 hours ago, mike42 said:

I would  put it on electrical and the door handle, but keep it off the rubber


I use corrosionx to waterproof high performance quadcopters that can see 200amp/3000+ watts.  I literally submerge the electrical components in corrosionx.  Silicone conformal coating is also amazing for that purpose.

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Doesn’t your reservoir cap have a small overfill tube? Put a clear hose on that tube and run it outside the cockpit, then push fresh hyd fluid through the nipple at the brakes. You can modify a garden sprayer from Home Depot to do this. When you see clean hyd fluid coming out of the clear hose with no air bubbles you have both replaced old hyd fluid and your reservoir is now full.

 

 

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3 hours ago, Hector said:

Doesn’t your reservoir cap have a small overfill tube? Put a clear hose on that tube and run it outside the cockpit, then push fresh hyd fluid through the nipple at the brakes. You can modify a garden sprayer from Home Depot to do this. When you see clean hyd fluid coming out of the clear hose with no air bubbles you have both replaced old hyd fluid and your reservoir is now full.

 

 

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No, I do not see one. I only see the container and the cap. I will try to take a pic and show you guys.

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5 hours ago, FastTex said:

No, I do not see one. I only see the container and the cap. I will try to take a pic and show you guys.

Look on the firewall under the cowl. Prob a few small hoses sticking out of the firewall near the pilot side below your windshield.  These are used to fill it.  This thread was when I bled the flaps but it uses the same line.  In my case it was the overflow since we pushed from the bottom.

 

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Here is a status update: 

1) With a combination of steel wool and thin foil the rust is pretty much gone. It looks way better. I will eventually paint it either in place or taking it apart.

2) This morning I saw a few more fluid drops on the ground even without using the airplane. I was able to remove the cap from the reservoir (all this is very hard!) and noticed that no hoses were attached to it. However, I saw a hole on top of the cap (maybe used in the past...not sure). Using a small stick I tried to measure the fluid in the reservoir which was at about 50%. I cancelled my flight. I just didn't feel comfortable knowing the fluid was leaking and I only had half. Maybe too cautions but there are more beautiful weekends coming!

Tomorrow I will call my A&P and ask to fix it and refill. Does the fluid get injected via the nipples at the brakes? I wonder how you know when it's full after seeing that the hole is drilled on the metal cap with nothing to stop leaks in case you add too much.

 

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The original design...

1) remove the cap to fill...

2) a tiny air hole allows venting of air pressure that occurs during climbs and descents...

3) access to the brake/flap oil reservoir used to be through access panels in front of the windshield...

4) conversion to 201 style windshields have removed many of those access panels...

5) adding and removing similar volumes of old and new oil is often done with some form of large syringe...

6) draining at the brakes can allow air to go where it will be unpleasant...

7) leaks and half filled reservoirs are signs of age... could be old oil hoses involved...

8) replacing old oil return lines is a great annual scale project... lots of panels to remove..

9) reservoir oil levels... as the reservoir empties... the flaps lose their fluid first... before the brakes do... something to keep in mind...

 

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

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18 hours ago, M20Doc said:

It’s decorative chrome, so any automotive chrome plating company can do it once you get it out.

Clarence

Before you spend $50 replating it, you might see if a standard drawer pull would not have the same on center dimensions.  https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Hills-Polished-Chrome-Drawer/dp/B00JHNXTH2?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_6

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Here is a status update: 
1) With a combination of steel wool and thin foil the rust is pretty much gone. It looks way better. I will eventually paint it either in place or taking it apart.
2) This morning I saw a few more fluid drops on the ground even without using the airplane. I was able to remove the cap from the reservoir (all this is very hard!) and noticed that no hoses were attached to it. However, I saw a hole on top of the cap (maybe used in the past...not sure). Using a small stick I tried to measure the fluid in the reservoir which was at about 50%. I cancelled my flight. I just didn't feel comfortable knowing the fluid was leaking and I only had half. Maybe too cautions but there are more beautiful weekends coming!
Tomorrow I will call my A&P and ask to fix it and refill. Does the fluid get injected via the nipples at the brakes? I wonder how you know when it's full after seeing that the hole is drilled on the metal cap with nothing to stop leaks in case you add too much.
 


Take a look for my threads labeled” Brake education”. It might help you understand how it goes together.

As Anthony pointed out, the hole in the cap is for venting. The fluid level should be half to three-quarter inch below the bottom of the opening. The only line coming out of the reservoir is the one going to the parking brake.

If you have the can style like mine, to remove it, you will need to disconnect the parking brake (rubber hose attaches it) and then remove the two bolts which are on the strap to the can.

ec995fed828425c4a18f2706d688ca83.jpg




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No, I do not see one. I only see the container and the cap. I will try to take a pic and show you guys.


Interesting. My cap has a small tube attached to it for venting. Maybe the previous owner added the small tube. However, the small metal tube allows me to attach a clear plastic hose that I can run outside then I can push fresh fluid through the brakes to replace all the fluid and bleed the system if I suspected there is any air in it. With no access , as in your plane, maybe your AP can make this small modification to the cap or run an small line through the firewall so you can service the reservoir


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